TheSunday Stashis a large batch of one simple, easy-to-make food that can be mix-and-matched with meat, vegetables, grains, and pasta to create meals throughout the week (or, if frozen, the month).
This month's Sunday Stash solves one of those nagging cooking problems parents of small children might be familiar with: cooked ground beef is great to have on hand, but annoying to make in large amounts. All those batches! All that splatter! All that clean-up!
But after experimenting with several methods that don't necessitate painstakingly browning one pound of beef at a time, Epicurious food editorAnna Stockwelldeveloped a simple, time-saving stovetop technique to make 4 pounds of meat in one pot. She browns the first two pounds without removing them from the pot, then adds the remaining two pounds of beef to the pot, stirring over medium until all the meat is cooked through. The browned bits get scattered throughout the beef, giving every bite just the right hint of smoky char, and the whole thing only takes about 25 minutes to make.
Since the meat is seasoned so simply—just salt!—it can be divided up and used in an endless number of family-friendly dishes. Here are 11 of our favorites:
1. Stuffed Peppers or Eggplant
Stuff bell peppers or eggplant with a mixture of cooked beef, sautéed onions and garlic, cooked rice or other grains, diced tomatoes, and spices or herbs. Top with cheese and bake at 375°F until the peppers or eggplant have softened, 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Larb-Inspired Lettuce Cups
Spoon ground beef into lettuce leaves and serve with a simpledipping saucealong with scallions, mint, basil, and crushed peanuts.
3. Hummus Bowls
Reheat beef in a little vegetable oil with a pinch each of cinnamon, coriander, and black pepper. Serve over hummus topped with a lemony tomato salad.
4. Pasta, Pasta, Pasta
The simplest version: add cooked meat to gently simmering marinara and stir to combine. Serve. Slightly more interesting version: add meat to a cinnamon-infused tomato sauce, toss with cooked pasta, top with feta, and bake at 350° until heated through, about 10 minutes.
